Tim's big play-off goal

Most midfielders would be pretty proud of scoring 13 goals in a season but Millwall's Tim Cahill is starting to believe it is an unlucky number.

The 22-year-old has gone 13 games without adding to his total after the 1-1 play-off semi-final first-leg draw at Birmingham yesterday.

He has had an excellent campaign and contributed fully to an all-round impressive team performance at St Andrews but he missed two good chances to improve his tally during the tie.

Cahill is becoming increasingly frustrated at what he sees as a goal drought and hopes he can take it out on Birmingham in the second-leg at The Den on Thursday.

He said: "When I get the next goal I think everybody will know about it. I am always going to get chances because I like to get forward - but putting them away is not always that easy. Maybe I am saving the next goal up for the second-leg.

"Some people say 13 is an unlucky number and maybe it is. But it is a lot of goals for the season and it is not over yet. Hopefully, I can still get 15."

If Cahill had converted either of his best chances yesterday, Millwall would have been going into the home leg of their play-off-semi-final on the back of an impressive win. He headed wide in the first-half when he connected with a Steven Reid cross in the six-yard area - and just failed to get on the end of a Neil Harris centre shortly after the break when any sort of connection was likely to have given him his 14th goal of the season.

Both came from his trademark well-timed forward runs but he was left to rue the missed opportunities when Birmingham took the lead against the run of play on 55 minutes through Bryan Hughes.

He volleyed home a clever Martin Grainger pass from close range with the Millwall defence waiting for an offside decision. Manager Mark McGhee's side got a deserved equaliser 12 minutes from time through on-loan Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin, who headed in at the near post from another pinpoint centre from the hard-working Reid.

Australian-born Cahill said: "I can handle not scoring when we get a result like that. It was massive and I think it hit them a bit. That showed in how down their supporters were at the end.

"A year or so ago when we went 1-0 down we might have dropped out heads but we showed great character and teamwork to get back into the game. Now they have got to come to our place in front of our fans and the lads have been saying that they cannot wait to play the game."

Millwall are now favourites to get past Birmingham after losing only five First Division games at home this term.

But McGhee urged caution. He said: "I'm just pleased we're still in it and we've given ourselves a chance for the second leg.

"Being at home we hope we have an advantage. But we are under no illusions - it's still enormously difficult."